Charmed 'Stone Cold' FINISHED
by deviant655
Summary: Season 5 - The Charmed Ones face a Gorgon
1. Stone Cold Part 1

CHARMED "STONE COLD - PART ONE' (5th Season)  
  
"Demon!"  
  
Phoebe's scream rang through the manor as she dropped down behind the  
  
island in the kitchen. A fireball soared over her head, meeting with the refrigerator.  
  
Smoke and sparks came from the appliance, quickly filling the room.  
  
Footsteps came running through the dining room. Her younger sister, Paige,  
  
stand in the doorway, eyes widened.  
  
The demon, in a fine navy suit and black tie, turned to face Paige. Their eyes  
  
met and she thought him attractive for a moment.  
  
Only a moment.  
  
Pulling back his arm, letting out a growl, the being that seemed like a man  
  
standing there in the manor's kitchen let another ball of fire materialize in his hand. He  
  
then threw it forward, sending it at Paige.  
  
She froze, dark eyes watching the orange ball coming toward her.  
  
"Paige!," came a familiar voice from behind.  
  
Phoebe and Paige's older sister Piper ran into the kitchen from the living room,  
  
nearly tripping over something - she couldn't care what now. Extending her arms  
  
quickly, flexing her hands, Piper watched the fireball freeze halfway between the demon  
  
and Paige.  
  
The demon growled again and spun around to face Piper. He waved his hand  
  
and an invisible force swept her off her feet. As she fell, Phoebe rose from the floor and  
  
grabbed the demon's arm, bringing his attention back to her. Frustrated and growing  
  
impatient, he turned back with his arm swinging out.  
  
Phoebe ducked down, the man's massive arm barely missing taking off her  
  
head. Then, she sprang back up and with her power of levitation quickly rose high  
  
above his him, sending out her foot. Her heel caught him across his chin and she  
  
watched him spin around and fall, crashing through the table behind him.  
  
"Again with the crashing through the table thing! We just bought that one last  
  
month!," Piper groaned, coming back to her feet.  
  
Phoebe winced. "Sorry. Maybe we can get the one I liked this time."  
  
"Yeah, the one Phoebe liked was much less.. conservative," Paige called from  
  
the other side of the room.  
  
Piper glanced at the youngest of the three, then to Phoebe. "I think we can find  
  
a better time to talk about this, don't you?"  
  
The three of them turned to the demon who had come back to his feet.  
  
"Right," Phoebe nodded.  
  
The fireball Piper had froze upon entering the room suddenly shifted back into  
  
ormal time and shot past Paige, impacting the wall near her. She screamed and her  
  
sisters turned back toward her.  
  
The demon quickly grabbed ahold of Piper's hair and pulled her toward him.  
  
efore she could cry out his fist had met her cheek and her smaller body was thrown  
  
across the room before returning to the floor again.  
  
"Piper!," Paige cried and ran to her sister.  
  
Phoebe turned back to the demon just in time, managing to block a punch  
  
aimed at her. She threw her own, but he smacked her hand away and brought up his  
  
knee to her stomach. Hunched over, she was pushed aside and the demon made a  
  
path toward Paige.  
  
Paige was on her knees by Piper's side, her sister lie unconscious on the kitchen  
  
floor. Hearing a shout from Phoebe, Paige's eyes darted back in the direction of the  
  
demon to find him heading toward her. She quickly stood and took a step back. Her  
  
eyes searched the room and she saw a large skillet on the stove. Holding out her hand,  
  
she called: "Skillet!"  
  
The demon turned, watching the pan disappear into a cluster of small blue and  
  
white lights. He frowned and looked back to Paige, seeing the same lights from the  
  
corner of his eye. The skillet was in her hands and she swung it at his head as one  
  
would swing a baseball bat. He stumbled, but did not fall. She hit him again, and again.  
  
On her fourth swing, he caught her wrist and squeezed with all his might. The sounds f  
  
bones being crushed could not be heard over her screams.  
  
The youngest of the Charmed Ones continued to scream, her legs giving way  
  
beneath her. The demon did not let go of her wrist, only laughed as he watched her  
  
suffer. "And now witch," he said, "the power of three ends."  
  
Phoebe came to her feet and looked toward the demon and Paige. An athame,  
  
a ritual dagger, appeared in the man's hand out of a small burst of flames. "Paige!,"  
  
Phoebe shrieked.  
  
The demon sent the blade into the girl's abdomen and twisted it, blood gushing  
  
out over his hand. He let her go and pushed her away, turning back to Phoebe. Holding  
  
out his hand, another athame appeared. "This one is for you."  
  
Panicking, unsure if her sisters were alive, thinking about Prue and how she could  
  
not bare to go through such loss again, Phoebe could not move. She stared blankly at  
  
the demon and barely felt the blade enter her stomach.  
  
"Leo!," Piper cried weakly, barely conscious, her eyes closed tightly. Leo, their  
  
white lighter. Their angel. Her husband.  
  
A shower of blue and white lights filled the corner of the room and the form of a  
  
handsome man appeared from them. He had appeared with a smile, but the pretty  
  
sight quickly faded as he realized how ugly the situation was. He watched Phoebe fall to  
  
the floor, athame handle coming from her stomach, blood everywhere. He looked to  
  
Paige, in the same condition, and then looked to the demon.  
  
The demon was smiling.  
  
"Oh my god," was all that Leo could manage.  
  
Holding out his hand, a fireball materialized. The demon hurled it toward Leo.  
  
The white lighter quickly orbed out, disappearing into the blue and white lights.  
  
He reappeared behind the demon and threw himself into the man, knocking him over  
  
the island in the center of the kitchen. Leo then hurried to Phoebe, closest to him,  
  
though he wished he knew how serious Piper's condition was - as well as that of their  
  
unborn child.  
  
Piper, now the only of the three sisters conscious - though barely, watched as  
  
the demon was thrown over the island, landing on the floor behind it. Her husband on  
  
the other side, probably using his powers to heal her sister's wound.  
  
Please don't let it be too late!  
  
The demon rose, he was heading around the island, toward Leo. No!  
  
Piper threw up her arms, hands opening wide, aiming for the demon.  
  
Please explode!  
  
The form of the man suddenly burst into millions of small particles, but then  
  
came back together. Piper's eyes widened. She tried to sit up, but felt as though  
  
something had seized her skull and was attempting to crush it. She closed her eyes  
  
tight, but only for an instant, then opened them and threw out her hands again.  
  
The demon froze, but by the time she was at her feet he was beginning to shift  
  
back into normal time.  
  
"L-Leo?," Piper whimpered, holding onto the wall for support. Her legs were  
  
trembling.  
  
Leo knelt by Phoebe's side, his hands over her wound. The bloody athame lie  
  
nearby. Slowly, the woman's wound healed and the spots of blood - even the tear in  
  
her white blouse - disappeared. He then quickly orbed away, reappearing by Paige's  
  
side. He pulled the dagger from her stomach and placed his hands over the entry point,  
  
warm gold light pouring into her.  
  
Unfreezing completely, the demon spun around for Piper. Another dagger  
  
appeared in his hand. He pulled his arm back, then threw it forward, sending the  
  
athame spinning through the air at the witch's chest.  
  
"Athame!," cried Paige, now healed by Leo. The dagger orbed out of mid-air.  
  
She caused it to appear turned in the opposite direction, and it continued spinning and  
  
flying through the air. It found its place in the chest of the demon.  
  
The Charmed Ones and their white lighter watched as what seemed like a man  
  
burst into flames and cried out in pain before disappearing. Only a scortch mark  
  
remained in the linoleum.  
  
Piper looked up at Leo as he came to heal her. "Okay.. What the hell was that  
  
about?"  
  
Phoebe swallowed, looking to the others.  
  
Paige stood still, staring at where the demon had been. "More witch- killing  
  
demons with athames."  
  
"I'll check the Book of Shadows." Phoebe looked to Piper and Leo, then to Paige.  
  
"I'll go with you," Paige said. The two of them quickly left the kitchen, hopping  
  
over debris from the table.  
  
  
  
Entering the attic quickly, Phoebe hurried across the large room to the Book of  
  
Shadows on its stand in front of the windows. As she opened the book, she could only  
  
think of one thing. Rather, one person. Cole. Her husband. Her soon-to-be ex-husband.  
  
The man that she had loved. The man that had become the Source of all evil and ruled  
  
the Underworld. He was evil. He always would be.  
  
Paige slowly walked in. Her stomach was bothering her, but it felt like more than  
  
indigestion. She stopped walking and watched Phoebe. She frowned. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Leo took care of me," Phoebe said quickly. She carefully turned the  
  
old pages of the old book. Their encyclopedia on demonology.  
  
Folding her arms, Paige came to her older sister's side. "That's not what I'm  
  
talking about."  
  
Phoebe looked to her sister, wishing the younger woman didn't have the natural  
  
ability to read people so well. She sighed and looked down, into the book but not at its  
  
content. "Paige, I really don't want to talk about it right now."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay then." Paige looked down into the Book of Shadows, her arms still folded.  
  
She would talk to Phoebe later, or maybe Piper. She could tell something was bothering  
  
Phoebe, and it wasn't the demon they had just fought. "Um, Phoebe."  
  
Phoebe became aware of the book and frowned. She was on the page about  
  
Belthazor - the demon Cole had shared his body with at one time. One of the most  
  
powerful upper-level demons in the underworld's heirarchy. She felt a cold shiver run  
  
through her and quickly turned the page.  
  
  
  
Leo sighed, standing behind Piper. He held her tightly in his arms, one at her  
  
waist and the other gently around her stomach as if protecting their baby as well. He  
  
closed his eyes, resting his chin on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm okay you know," she whispered. Her eyes were on the table, and thoughts of how much it would be to replace it versus the model Phoebe and Paige admired  
  
danced in her head. "Its not like this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time."  
  
"Well, actually it doesn't." He let go, she turned around to face him. "When was  
  
the last time a demon that strong just showed up out of nowhere to take out the  
  
Charmed Ones?"  
  
Piper sighed. "Leo, don't try to make this out as more than it is. A demon  
  
attacked. We kicked its ass."  
  
"You were nearly all killed."  
  
"But we weren't. You came and you saved us." Her tone was more aggressive  
  
than she meant it to be. Damn horomones.  
  
He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing a smile. "I'm not  
  
fighting with you, I'm just saying that maybe we should be a little paranoid. Only  
  
because its necessary right now. The underworld is in a mess, plenty of people want to  
  
- -"  
  
She interrupted him, "Plenty of people want to kill us. This is nothing new! No  
  
sense worrying unless there's something to worry about." Looking at her watch, she  
  
jumped as if someone had snuck up and stuck her with a pin. "Oh!"  
  
"What is it?," he moved closer, concerned.  
  
"I have to be at P3 in fifteen minutes ago!" She whined and grabbed onto his  
  
shoulders. "Orb. Bedroom. Now. I need to change."  
  
He smirked and they disappeared into a trail of light.  
  
  
  
Paige sighed, looking from the book to Phoebe. "He's not in there."  
  
She nodded and turned the last page, though she knew Paige was right. "Well I  
  
don't know, then. I just don't have a good feeling about this. He was coming after us,  
  
Paige. We were able to get rid of him without a spell or potion, but Piper's magic didn't  
  
do anything."  
  
"You think someone sent him?"  
  
"I just don't know. Maybe I'm just paranoid."  
  
"Well try not to worry about it too much. I have to go."  
  
Phoebe frowned. "What? Where?"  
  
Paige frowned as well. "Work. Geez calm down."  
  
Shaking her head, Phoebe looked back down at the book and started over from  
  
page one. "I'm going to look through here one more time. Maybe I'll find something."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Paige headed for the door. "Oookay, well I'll see you later."  
  
Leaving the attic, Paige made her way downstairs and spotted Piper heading out in a  
  
hurry. "Where are you off to at eight thirty?"  
  
Piper didn't look back as she hurried down the stairs. "Correction, twenty inutes  
  
after eight and I was supposed to be at the club twenty minutes ago." She could hear  
  
Paige moving after her behind.  
  
"Don't you want to know if Phoebe and I found anything?"  
  
"No, not really." Piper reached the front door and pulled it open, glancing back to  
  
Paige for a moment, damning herself. "Did you?"  
  
Paige shrugged. "Nope."  
  
With a quick nod, Piper pulled the door shut behind her and made her way to  
  
her car.  
  
  
  
Going through the pages a bit slower this time, Phoebe sat on the attic floor with  
  
the book in her lap. Cole was still on her mind as much as she tried to block him out and  
  
she wondered if he could be toying with her somehow. True he still loved her, but he'd  
  
do anything to get her back. He'd made that clear and it scared her. She couldn't love  
  
evil, she couldn't put herself or her sisters in that danger again. Cole wouldn't accept it,  
  
but she had no choice. He was evil. He always would be.  
  
As she turned a page, a small piece of paper folded several times and tucked  
  
firmly into the binding caught her eye. She frowned and opened the book wide, looking  
  
at the piece of paper which was much newer than the paper that surrounded it.  
  
"Belthazor," she realized she had come back to the page again. She was  
  
tempted to move on, but the folded paper held her interest more. Reaching in, she  
  
pulled it free and began to unfold it.  
  
"Oh my god," she said alout as she let the unfolded paper fall from her hands.  
  
The spell to summon Belthazor and the ingredients for the potion to destroy him. She  
  
stared at the piece of paper for a few seconds before reaching down to pick it up.  
  
Careful not to read the words of the spell aloud or even think them, she quickly folded it  
  
again.  
  
Why won't you stop haunting me? You'll never stop, Cole.  
  
"You okay?" It was Leo's voice from the door.  
  
Phoebe dropped the paper into the book and shut it. She stood and walked back  
  
to the book's stand, setting it down. "I couldn't find the demon in there. I guess he  
  
wasn't anyone important."  
  
"That worries you."  
  
She looked back to him. "What if he was working for someone, Leo? What if this  
  
is just the beginning of some bad ass demon's plot to wipe out the Charmed Ones? We  
  
can't know its not."  
  
The angel frowned, moving further into the room. "Are you okay?"  
  
Phoebe sighed. "I don't know, Leo. I need to go."  
  
He watched her walk past and didn't try to stop her. She left the room and he  
  
walked to the Book of Shadows, seeing a small piece of paper sticking out from one of  
  
the pages. Opening the book, he saw the drawing of the demon Belthazor.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tapping the steering wheel with her fingernails, which she had applied tips and  
  
red polish to the night before, Paige shifted in her seat as she sat in front of the red  
  
light. The day was unusually warm for this time of year and she hated to have the sun  
  
beat down on her. The radio was off, everyone was talking about Christmas being only  
  
a few weeks away and it had become annoying.  
  
A scream.  
  
Paige jumped and looked around, out through the windows of her metallic mint  
  
green volkswagen beetle. An older woman standing on the street corner of the  
  
intersection was shouting at a young man in a denim jacket, who was passing in front  
  
of her car.  
  
"Hey!," Paige shouted, but the man kept running. She let out a frustrated growl  
  
and searched the man over, seeing a leather strap dangling down from within his coat.  
  
He had stolen the old woman's purse.  
  
She focused and called, "Pocket book!"  
  
Blue and white lights poured out from the man's jacket and he froze on the  
  
sidewalk at the opposite side of the street. The lights then disappeared, only to return  
  
over the old woman, her purse materializing from them and dropping into her hands.  
  
The thief turned and continued running while the woman stared in disbelief.  
  
Drivers who hadn't been paying attention blew their horns from behind, the light  
  
was green.  
  
"All right already!" Paige took her foot from the brake and placed it on the  
  
accelerator, driving down Laramie Street in San Francisco.  
  
  
  
Paige enjoyed her work, but she was still an assistant and not a social worker. At  
  
twenty-six year old she was still not where she had dreamed of being after college.  
  
Though witchcraft had taught her patience, she could not help but think of where she  
  
should be.  
  
After parking the beetle, she headed into the building located in downtown San  
  
Francisco and passed through the lobby to the row of elevators.  
  
The sickening feeling and pain in her stomach returned and she nearly cried out  
  
as a sharp jolt ran through her abdomen.  
  
"Excuse me," came a voice from behind.  
  
Sighing, Paige turned and quickly donned a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"  
  
A middle-aged woman with dark brown, frosted hair and green eyes stood  
  
before her. She wore a gold-trim navy suit and pearl jewelry, holding a clipboard in both  
  
hands.  
  
"You are Mis. Matthews?," the woman asked, looking over the rims of her  
  
glasses.  
  
Paige frowned, thinking the woman might not appear to be so constipated if she  
  
wore a few more colors and lost the pearls. "Do I know you?"  
  
She did not offer a smile or handshake. "My name is Victoria Olsen. We'll talk in  
  
private."  
  
Blinking, Paige's hands moved to her hips. "What is this - -"  
  
"In private."  
  
"Listen lady, I've been through enough in the past year to realize its better to be  
  
safe than sorry. Now tell me who you are and what you want or I'm calling for  
  
security." Paige's eyes fell on the receptionist in the building's lobby, then back to the  
  
woman.  
  
The woman nodded. "Fine. Good day to you, then, Ms. Matthews." She turned,  
  
but instead of heading for the doors, headed down a hall toward the rear entrance fire  
  
escape.  
  
What the hell? Paige had also learned to investigate anything that seemed  
  
unusual. This was definitely unusual, but it could be a trap of some kind. But, not  
  
everything was supernatural in her life. She hurried down the hall after the woman, who  
  
had now disappeared around a corner.  
  
Upon reaching the end of the hall, Paige called out to Victoria Olsen. "Wait, I'll  
  
talk to you." She turned the corner and. . . Nothing, clear down to the end of the hall.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Piper groaned, trying not to look at the clock just over Thomas Kennedy's head.  
  
He looked like one of the Kennedys. He had been rambling on for nearly two hours  
  
about how some changes should be made throughout P3. She didn't appreciate the  
  
suggestions and she didn't plan on making any of the changes, but she wouldn't tell him  
  
that.  
  
"You see, Ms. Halliwell," he said, "P3 is just not as hip as it once was. We need  
  
to get some more lights, like I said. And the bands that have played here these last  
  
few months - I'm sorry, but I must be blunt as always. . . they just will not do with  
  
today's young crowd!"  
  
She forced a smile. "Mr. Kennedy - -"  
  
"Tom."  
  
"Tom." She stood up from behind her desk. "You're not the first person to try  
  
and get me to change things around here. Some of your suggestions I'll think about,  
  
really I will. Its just that, to be honest, I'm not that good with big changes. So, why  
  
don't we just go over the ones I do like."  
  
"Ms. Halliwell, I'm one of San Francisco's top five night club - -"  
  
"Did you think I was going to like all of your ideas?"  
  
"Everyone does."  
  
She frowned and snapped, "Well I'm not everyone, mister, and you can take  
  
your ideas and shove 'em along with your damned attitude I've been dealing with for  
  
the past," she looked up, then back down, "two hours."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Oh no," she squeaked. "I'm sorry. Its the baby the horomones and. . .  
  
That was very rude of me."  
  
"Yes," he said, standing. "It was, wasn't it?" He smirked, looking her over. "I  
  
know I may not be a man to easily get along with, Ms. Halliwell, but I am a respected  
  
advisor in the San Francisco club scene."  
  
She wanted to freeze him.  
  
He continued, "I didn't want to come here today but a good mutual friend of  
  
ours insisted on it."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? P3 isn't worthy enough for you to grace us all  
  
with your presence?"  
  
Kennedy snorted. "See you around, Ms. Halliwell."  
  
Piper growled and watched him leave, running both hands back through her air.  
  
Why did she even bother?  
  
As Thomas Kennedy was heading out through the club, she heard a woman's  
  
voice ask him for Piper Halliwell's office. Piper walked past her desk and out into the club,  
  
looking across the room at a woman in a gold-trimmed navy suit.  
  
"Can I help you?" Piper walked toward her as Kennedy exited without looking  
  
back.  
  
The woman stopped walking, remaining still as Piper came toward her. She held  
  
a clipboard in both hands in front of her. "Piper Halliwell?"  
  
Frowning, she nodded slightly. "Yes?"  
  
"My name is Victoria Olsen."  
  
"How can I help you?" Piper moved to fold her arms, then dropped them back  
  
at her sides. She wanted to be able to defend herself quickly if necessary.  
  
Victoria Olsen dropped the clipboard and took a wide step back. She was smiling.  
  
Piper looked confused, then her eyes widened and she screamed as the  
  
clipboard appeared to be shimmering out, then glowed and grew into a beast. All she  
  
could think of was how she would ever be able to describe the grotesque being before  
  
her, massive horns, claws, teeth, drool, a forked tongue, a tail. What was it!?  
  
She threw out her hands and froze the beast. Her eyes searched the room  
  
quickly for Victoria. The other woman was still standing behind the creature, arms  
  
folded, smiling.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?," Piper shouted, hands up, ready to attack the  
  
woman if necessary. "Talk or I'll blow you apart, lady!"  
  
Still smiling, Victoria held up her hands. "No, don't hurt me. Please don't." Her  
  
eyes flashes green for a moment as if light had been reflected off emeralds and Piper  
  
herself was frozen, turned to stone.  
  
"One down, two to go," Victoria Olsen said. She waved her hand and the image  
  
of the creature disappeared. She then exited P3, without the clipboard, by shimmering  
  
away.  
  
  
  
  
  
Phoebe let out a sigh, stepping into the manor holding a laptop computer and a  
  
file about ten inches thick. She looked exhausted and it was only four hours into the  
  
work day. She dragged her feet across the floor and into the dining room, sitting down  
  
at the table with the laptop and papers before her.  
  
"What are you doing home?," Paige asked, coming in from the kitchen suddenly.  
  
Screaming, Phoebe leapt up from the table and spun around to face her sister.  
  
"Paige! What are you doing? You can't just sneak up on people like that, you know.  
  
That's how people have heart attacks."  
  
"Yeah, old people."  
  
Growling, Phoebe sat back down and opened the laptop to a page where she  
  
had been writing a return letter for her advice column. "I just needed some peace and  
  
quiet. I have a lot of things on my mind and that office wasn't helping."  
  
Paige peered over her shoulder. "Ah, one sentence so far."  
  
Phoebe turned to look at her. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I live here."  
  
"Shouldn't you be at work?"  
  
"Phoebe, chill. This freaky bitch woman came and I got a really bad feeling from  
  
her. I came home to see if maybe she was in the Book of Shadows."  
  
"Now you're being paranoid too?" Phoebe stood. "Well, was she?"  
  
Paige shook her head. "No, she wasnt. I don't know, I still feel really weird about  
  
her."  
  
"Well," Phoebe looked down to her papers, then to Paige again. "You've had  
  
these feelings of yours about people before. I can't doubt you. Is Piper home from her  
  
meeting yet?"  
  
"No, we're the only ones here."  
  
"Come on, let's check the Book of Shadows again just in case you missed her."  
  
A voice came from the dining room entrance. Piper's voice: "What're you guys  
  
talking about?" She came in further.  
  
Phoebe turned toward Piper. "Paige was talking about some creepy woman that  
  
came to see her today. We were going to go check out the Book, she has one of her  
  
feelings again. How did your meeting go?"  
  
"Great," Piper smiled.  
  
"Oh, and don't worry about the fridge and the table. I already ordered  
  
replacements, same model and everything."  
  
Piper nodded and looked to Paige. "Paige? Are you all right, you look pale."  
  
"When doesn't she?," Phoebe smiled, looking to her younger sister.  
  
Frowning, Paige shook her head. "Nothing, its just my stomach. I suddenly have  
  
that feeling again."  
  
Phoebe's eyes widened. "The feeling from the woman? That could mean she's  
  
nearby."  
  
"Well go ahead and check out the Book again, Paige. There's something I need  
  
to discuss with Phoebe." Piper still smiled, walking slowly toward Phoebe. "Phoebe,  
  
kitchen please?" She headed in the direction of the kitchen and heard her sister following  
  
behind her.  
  
Shrugging, Paige hurried out of the dining room and upstairs to the attic.  
  
  
  
"What's wrong?," asked Phoebe.  
  
Piper looked past Phoebe, making sure Paige wasn't nearby. "Oh, nothing much,  
  
except I was attacked by a demon down at the club." She could see Phoebe growing  
  
anxious. "Oh yeah, big nasty thing came out of nowhere and tried to kill me."  
  
Blinking, Phoebe stuttered. "W-What do you mean? What happened? Are you all  
  
right?"  
  
"I'm fine, the baby put up one of those force fields around me. I froze the thing  
  
and got away."  
  
Phoebe frowned. "How did you get away? Is Leo here?"  
  
"He's gone to see the elders," Piper lied.  
  
"Oh. Well, did you try to find the. . ?"  
  
"I don't know what it was. Some demonic creature of some kind, Phoebe." Piper  
  
sighed and turned away.  
  
"Did you find it in the Book of Shadows? And shouldn't Paige be here to hear  
  
about this?"  
  
Piper turned back, rolling her eyes. "Do me a favor, Phoebe." Her eyes flashed  
  
green and Phoebe moved to jump, but was frozen in place and turned to stone in an  
  
instant. "Just shut up and don't move."  
  
Smiling, the imposter Piper headed for the stairs. Her body was surrounded in a  
  
green glow as she walked and she seemed to be phasing ot as she then took on the  
  
form of Phoebe.  
  
  
  
  
  
Paige shook her head, flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadows, not  
  
finding the woman that had come to visit her at the social services office. She was also  
  
annoyed that Piper had to speak to Phoebe in private - she had thought they were all  
  
past that by now, but maybe she still had a lot to learn about being the youngest of  
  
three sisters.  
  
Sighing, Paige shut the book and tapped her red tips on its cover until she  
  
suddenly received a sharp pain in her abdomen with a strong feeling of nausea. Looking  
  
up, "Phoebe, I can't find her in here," she groaned.  
  
"I don't think we'll need to worry about it anymore, Paige."  
  
The youngest sister frowned, still holding her stomach. "What do you mean?"  
  
"And now, witch," said Phoebe, "the power of three ends."  
  
A memory.  
  
The morning.  
  
The demon. He had said the same thing to her.  
  
"Ph-Phoebe?!"  
  
What appeared to be Phoebe stepped forward and her eyes flashed green.  
  
However, Paige was not effected.  
  
Paige blinked and pointed a finger at her false sister. "Okay, I don't know what  
  
you are but you're not my sister. Now s-stay away!" She turned toward the door and  
  
screamed, "Piper!"  
  
"She can't hear you, fool. I've already taken care of her as well as this one.  
  
How unfortunate for you my powers do not seem to have any effect. Now you will be  
  
disposed of the slow and painful way."  
  
"The hell I will!" Paige took a quick look around the attic and held out her hands.  
  
She called to various objects and orbed books, a small table, a few old chairs, and  
  
several other smaller things around her sending them all at the woman.  
  
Phoebe used the power of levitation to lift up over the table, then droped down from the chair. She kicked away the books and did a few flips and somersaults for  
  
added flair. She smiled and her form glowed green and shifted into that of Victoria  
  
Olsen.  
  
Paige's eyes narrowed. "I knew you were evil. I could feel it."  
  
"Feel this," was all the woman said.  
  
Between the two women a demon shimmered, holding an athame.  
  
Jumping back, Paige vanished into blue and white lights as the blade was swung  
  
at her.  
  
"Damn!," shouted Victoria. She waved her hand and the demon disappeared.  
  
About to disappear herself, her eyes caught the Book of Shadows. "Oh my," she  
  
smirked and walked across the attic to the book's stand.  
  
"All the secrets of the Charmed Ones. Their weapon against evil." Victoria  
  
reached down to touch the book and a field shot up around it, sending a powerful  
  
charge into her; she stumbled back. She growled and turned away, disappearing in a  
  
flash of green light.  
  
  
  
A panicked Paige orbed into P3's storage room, out of breath. She hurried from  
  
the room and headed down the hall to the main room of the club, calling for her sister.  
  
She stopped short at a piece of debris and looked ahead at the bar, seeing it was only  
  
a large pile of still-smoking rubble. "Piper!"  
  
She ran to Piper's office, shrieking, not even noticing the statue in the room's  
  
corner her older sister had become. "Piper! Piper are you here? Piper!" Thoughts ran  
  
through her head. Was she capable of handling the loss of a sister? She had seen how  
  
difficult it had been for Piper and Phoebe. Please let her be all right.  
  
Coming back to the main room, Paige looked around frantically and then froze in  
  
place, spotting a figure about Piper's height and size nearby. Slowly she gained the  
  
courage to approach it. The back of a statue? She moved around it and gasped, seeing  
  
it was indeed as she had feared - Piper, turned to stone. A statue.  
  
"Leo!" Paige looked around, waiting for the white lighter to come. "Leo! Leo!"  
  
After a few seconds white and blue lights showered down nearby as Leo orbed  
  
into the club. He looked at Paige confused, not seeing any demons or warlocks  
  
attacking her. 'Paige? What is it?"  
  
"Duh," she gestured at the statue. "Leo, some woman was at the manor. She  
  
must be some kind of shape shifter. Piper and Phoebe were at the house, but I think  
  
she did something to them. I came here because it was the first place I thought of  
  
and. . . just look!"  
  
Turning, Paige held out her hand and called to the light switch. The switch on he  
  
wall at the far end of the room glowed white and blue as it flipped upward, lights coming  
  
down on the statue by her side.  
  
Leo's mouth dropped, sensing immediately it was his wife. "What the. . ." He  
  
hurried around to the front of the statue and reached out, running his hands over the  
  
shoulders, cold stone instead of warm and welcoming.  
  
"Paige, what happened?"  
  
"I just told you everything I know! And I already looked in the Book for the  
  
woman, she's not in there. Leo, can you heal her?"  
  
He frowned and shook his head. "I don't know." Holding his hands in front of the  
  
statue of his wife, his palms took on a golden glow and it showered over the stone for  
  
nearly a minute before he shook his head, looking to Paige. "Its not working. But she's  
  
alive, and so is the baby."  
  
"What are we going to do? Can you sense Phoebe?"  
  
Leo looked down for a moment, focusing, then back up at Paige with a nod.  
  
"She's alive, back at the manor, but she could be in the same condition as Piper. I'm  
  
going to see if the elders can help. You stay here."  
  
She nodded. "Hurry, Leo."  
  
He disappeared before she had finished her short sentence and she watched  
  
the trail of light completely disappear before looking back to Piper. She swallowed.  
  
Taking a look around the club once more, she spotted the clipboard on the floor and  
  
picked it up. "If only I had premonitions like Phoebe. . ."  
  
Leo returned five minutes later with an expression that worried Paige.  
  
"Leo, what is it?," Paige asked.  
  
He looked to Piper, then to Paige. "They say, from what you told me, that it  
  
sounds like this woman is a Gorgon."  
  
"Gorgon?" She shook her head. "Come on, Leo."  
  
"Ever heard of Medusa? She was one of three sisters, Gorgons. Also, she can  
  
change her form into anyone she's ever turned into stone, and she'll also have their  
  
powers."  
  
She stared at him for a moment, then just shook her head and looked back to  
  
Piper. "Okay, so how do we fix this?" She looked back. "And why didn't her powers work  
  
on me?"  
  
"Well they said Gorgons can't use their powers against white lighters. Your white  
  
lighter half must make you immune. You and I should also be able to detect her. But  
  
just because she can't turn you into stone doesn't mean she can't use her illusions  
  
against you and your sisters. I'll guess that's what the demon you guys fought this  
  
morning was. The Gorgon must have been testing all of us with it."  
  
"She didn't think she'd be able to take us all on so she waited until we were all  
  
separated." Paige shook her head. "How can illusions hurt us? They're not supposed to  
  
be real.  
  
"Your mind makes them real, Paige." He looked to Piper, then back to the  
  
youngest sister. "You're going to have to make a potion to restore your sisters and  
  
you'll probably need the power of three, so you should have a spell ready for them  
  
once they're back in flesh."  
  
"Um okay, what if that crazy bitch comes after me again?"  
  
"We have to work fast."  
  
She nodded and looked to Piper, placing a hand on the statue. The three of  
  
them orbed from P3 and into the manor's kitchen where Paige and Leo immediately saw  
  
the statue of Phoebe.  
  
Leo looked to her. "What about Cole?"  
  
Paige frowned, walking to the fridge and then the cupboards to find herbs and  
  
spices. "What about Cole?"  
  
"I don't like the idea of you being here like this, you're vulnerable. You all are.  
  
He's the only other person. I can go get him, tell him what happened. I would really feel  
  
a lot better if he were here to help you protect your sisters."  
  
He didn't think she could do it by herself? This was no time for an ego trip. She  
  
nodded. "Good idea." She watched him orb out.  
  
Leo returned with Cole a few minutes later. Paige looked up from her boiling brew  
  
on the stove, wondering why Cole never shaved anymore - not that it was an entirely  
  
bad look for him. She looked back down at her potion, hoping Leo had already briefed  
  
the other man.  
  
"Paige," Cole nodded. He turned and looked to the statues of Phoebe and Piper.  
  
"Well, I should be immune."  
  
"We don't know that," said Leo. "Even the most powerful of forces can be  
  
contained. You should know that. Remember the Hollow?"  
  
Frowning, Paige looked up at Leo. He must be worrying about Piper, she looked  
  
back down at her potion. "One of you keep stirring this." She walked to the counter  
  
where a small writing pad and pen lay. "I have to think up this damned power of three  
  
spell."  
  
Leo saw that Cole wasn't moving, so he headed to the pot and took the large  
  
wooden spoon in his hand, stirring the foul-smelling potion as it boiled. "How long does  
  
this have to boil?"  
  
"A few more minutes," said Paige. She began scribbling on the pad, drawing  
  
different shapes and stick-figures, then shook her head. "What rhymes with 'Gorgon'?"  
  
Cole looked to Paige. "Organ."  
  
She arched her brow and wrote:  
  
  
  
My voice as powerful as an organ  
  
I cast thee away, evil Gorgon  
  
  
  
Crumbling up the paper, she threw it into the nearby trash bin.  
  
Leo looked over to her. "Just relax, Paige. Its part of your destiny, its in you.  
  
Just let it come to you. . . but hurry."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know."  
  
  
  
Cole watched Leo stirring the potion and Paige writing her spell. He knew he  
  
made them both uncomfortable. Turning, he walked past the statue of Piper - the  
  
statue that was Piper - and approached Phoebe. He could feel Leo's eyes on him as he  
  
reached out and touched the cold stone cheek of the woman he loved. He closed his  
  
eyes.  
  
"What are you doing?," asked Leo.  
  
Opening his eyes, Cole slowly looked back to the other man. "Just stir your  
  
potion."  
  
  
  
Paige smiled. "I got it." She looked over the spell, careful not to speak the words  
  
yet:  
  
  
  
  
  
Power of the witches onto you  
  
The Charmed Ones' words will find you  
  
As the day erases the night  
  
So shall our words  
  
erase you with their light  
  
  
  
Leo stopped stirring and walked over to her, peering over her shoulder at the  
  
spell. "Well, at least it rhymes," he tried to joke, but neither of them laughed. Paige  
  
looked over her shoulder at Cole, then back to Leo. He only nodded.  
  
She walked to the stove and took two small glass bottles and dunked them each  
  
into the potion with tongs, then pulled them out and wiped them clean with a cloth  
  
before placing a piece of cork in the tops. "There we go."  
  
"There is a less messy way of doing that you know," Cole observed.  
  
Without answering him, Paige handed one of the bottles to Leo, then moved  
  
across the kitchen to Phoebe. She took in a deep breath. "I hope this works."  
  
Nodding, Leo headed over to Piper.  
  
"Okay, and. . ." Paige held the potion above her head and Cole stepped back.  
  
As she was about to throw it down in front of Phoebe, a pain raced through her and  
  
she dropped the bottle behind her. It crashed to the floor and shattered, its contents  
  
turning into a cloud of smoke shooting into the air and quickly disappearing - missing  
  
Phoebe. "Leo!"  
  
But he was also in pain and dropped to his knees. The bottle he was holding fell  
  
before him and shattered, smoke shooting up and over the statue of Piper. Green light  
  
poured from cracks making their way through the stone.  
  
Cole looked at them both, frowning. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Victoria, she must be here," said Paige.  
  
"The Gorgon," said Leo. "She must be getting stronger because of Piper and  
  
Phoebe being turned to stone. The Gorgon has her victims' powers."  
  
Spinning around, Cole waited for an attack.  
  
The statue of Piper completely glowed green now and suddenly she fell from the  
  
light to the kitchen floor, landing by the scortch mark made by the vanquishing of the  
  
demon earlier that day.  
  
"Where the hell is she? I'll kill her myself." Piper looked to see Leo on his knees  
  
and hunched over in front of her. "Leo? Leo, what's wrong?"  
  
Green light flashing behind Piper, Victoria Olsen appeared.  
  
"Piper, stay down!," shouted Cole. He threw out his hand, an energy ball shot  
  
over Leo and Pipers' heads, for the woman - the Gorgon.  
  
Victoria was hit and let out a cry as she flew back, her body thrown up against a  
  
wall in the dining room. She fell to the floor and quickly stood, smirking at Cole. Her eyes  
  
flashed green, but he had looked away. Waving her hand, a demon resembling  
  
Belthazor appeared in the kitchen.  
  
Cole spun around.  
  
Paige swallowed and stood, running past Cole for the pot on the stove, grabbing  
  
another bottle.  
  
Walking into the kitchen, Victoria took on the form of Phoebe once again. She  
  
leapt up onto the island in the kitchen and threw up her leg, heel aimed at Paige's  
  
forehead.  
  
The youngest of the Charmed Ones saw the woman coming and quickly orbed  
  
out, bottle filled with potion in her hand. She appeared on the opposite side of the  
  
kitchen from Phoebe. "Potion," she focused and felt the bottle orb from her hand. It  
  
appeared over Phoebe and dropped down, shattering on the floor in front of her,  
  
smoke shooting up over the real Halliwell.  
  
Cole grabbed the demon, the illusion the Gorgon had created to distract him,  
  
and watched it burst into flames. He then turned to face the Gorgon, who had now  
  
turned back into the form of Victoria Olsen.  
  
Piper left Leo and ran to Phoebe's side, the two of them were soon joined by  
  
Paige.  
  
"I really hope you have a spell to get rid of this bitch," growled Piper, eyes  
  
narrowed at the woman.  
  
Cole stood between the three sisters and the Gorgon. As he formed an energy  
  
ball, he made the mistake of looking into her eyes. They flashed green and he let out a  
  
shout as his body glowed and turned to stone, energy ball and all.  
  
"Oh no, Cole," Phoebe whispered.  
  
Paige nodded to her sisters and held out her hand. "Pad!" The writing pad on  
  
the kitchen counter orbed to her and she stood between Piper and Paige.  
  
"Quick, quick," said Piper.  
  
In unision, the three sisters read Paige's spell: "Power of the witches onto you,  
  
the Charmed Ones' words will find you, as the day erases the night so shall our words  
  
erase you with their light." Piper and Phoebe both frowned, looking to Paige.  
  
"Give me a break Leo was rushing me!," Paige looked from one to the other.  
  
Victoria let out a shriek and looked herself over as her body began to burst into  
  
flame. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and her body began to shift. The flames  
  
changed color to green and were absorbed into her new form - Cole's.  
  
"Oh - -," Paige was interrupted.  
  
"It didn't work!," Phoebe took a step back.  
  
"She must have all of Cole's powers in his form," said Piper.  
  
The Gorgon stumbled back, clearly the power of three spell had caused her  
  
some damage. "I will return, ladies." She held out her hand and the statue of Cole  
  
disappeared into flames, followed by her.  
  
"NO! COLE!," Phoebe ran forward, but it was too late.  
  
"She's invincible," Paige looked on wide-eyed.  
  
Leo frowned. "No, not if you free Cole."  
  
"How are we supposed to do that, Leo? We don't know where he is. She could  
  
have put him anywhere. She has all of Cole's powers, she could have put him in the  
  
past, future or another dimension." Piper growled, placing her hands over her face as  
  
though she could hide from the world for just a minute to think.  
  
"When she recovers," Paige said slowly, "there's no stopping her. We're going to  
  
die. . ."  
  
"Paige!," shouted Piper.  
  
"What? You're the only one allowed to be pessimistic?"  
  
Leo blinked and cut in between them. "Don't do this. You can't fight right now,  
  
you have to think and plan your next move."  
  
Phoebe spun around. "Who's idea was it to bring Cole here? Paige?"  
  
"It was mine," said Leo.  
  
Shaking her head, Phoebe looked away.  
  
Paige looked to where the Gorgon had been standing. "I wonder where she  
  
went."  
  
  
  
  
  
The Gorgon appeared out of flames in the former chambers of the Source in  
  
the Underworld. Apparently the room had become a meeting center of some sort.  
  
Several demons and warlocks there leapt away and stared in horror and disbelief at the  
  
sight of 'Cole'. The Gorgon was pleased. "Spread the word. I am the Source once  
  
again. Should anyone dare challenge me, they shall meet a slow and painful end."  
  
They scattered and she was alone in the room.  
  
"An unexpected, yet welcomed twist," she chuckled. "How humorous. My plan  
  
was to destroy the Charmed Ones to become the Source. All I had to do was turn the  
  
former owner of the title to stone. Oh how wonderful this will be. Once I'm rested I can  
  
return to finish them off. They can't stop me."  
  
Laughter from behind.  
  
The Gorn spun around to face a cocky young warlock chuckling in the corner.  
  
She narrowed her eyes and held out her hand, his body was thrown forward into a  
  
bowing position. "How dare you laugh at me?"  
  
He spoke with no fear, "You can't simply claim yourself to be ruler of the  
  
Underworld! Ruler of all evil! It doesn't work that way! There are others that will rise up  
  
against you, too many for you to fight."  
  
She hissed, "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Rhianon, I am a warlock loyal to any person that would become  
  
the next Source. I tell you these things only for your best interest. If you should  
  
become the Source, so be it, I shall serve you faithfully. You must realize there are  
  
others who would want the throne you have just declared yourself owner of."  
  
Tilting her head, she folded her arms. She still held Cole's form. "It was my  
  
throne to begin with, I've come back to reclaim it."  
  
"Even so. . . The only way they would allow you to is if you performed the task  
  
you could never bring yourself to accomplish."  
  
Her eyes narrowed with interest. "What is that?"  
  
"Destroy the Charmed Ones and no one shall dare challenge you," Rhianon  
  
smiled but did not lift his head. "Please, allow me to serve you."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. . . 


	2. Stone Cold Part 2

CHARMED "STONE COLD - PART TWO' (5th Season)  
  
Piper paced nervously in the dining room, one hand on her hip and the other at  
  
her chin. Phoebe sit at the table with the Book of Shadows opened before her. Paige  
  
and Leo stood quietly in the corner, anxious and fidgeting.  
  
"Here," said Phoebe. She found her fingers shaking as she held onto the edge  
  
of the page and let go. She had never been more worried about Cole, and she had  
  
never wished so strongly that she didn't care about someone. "The Gorgon Demon,"  
  
she read aloud. "Rarely seen in its true hideous form, the Gorgon uses the forms of  
  
victims she has turned into stone. Each of the three Gorgon sisters had a special  
  
charm." Phoebe looked up at her sisters and their white lighter. "Sound familiar?"  
  
Dropping her hands to her sides, Piper moved around the table and stood next  
  
to Phoebe. She read, "Medusa, the most hideous of the three, has hundreds of hissing  
  
snakes for hair, eyes fierce and bloodshot no matter what form she is in - -"  
  
"Then that's not her," said Paige.  
  
Piper looked further down the page. "Here we go, this one sounds like our  
  
Gorgon. . . Sthenno, the middle sister, is the most powerful of the three." Her  
  
eyebrows rose. "Sthenno used her powers against her sisters, Medusa and Euryale and  
  
destroyed them, thereby gaining their powers."  
  
"Oh goody, warlock-style and everything," said Phoebe.  
  
"Apparently they don't work for the Source, nor do they work against him - at  
  
least not traditionally. Sthenno is definitely a power slut, though," Piper looked to Paige,  
  
then Phoebe. "We're going to need a piece of her flesh to vanquish her and do this  
  
upper-level demon style now that she has Cole's powers."  
  
Phoebe frowned. "What if that doesn't work?"  
  
"Then we're screwed," Piper said simply and looked to Leo. "Unless the Elders  
  
can give us any more help?"  
  
He shook his head. "I've already told you everything they know."  
  
Phoebe turned, hearing her cell phone. She stood from the table and walked to  
  
her purse. "Phoebe Halliwell." She frowned. "Donna, I can't. I have a family emergency  
  
right now." She rolled her eyes. "Yes I know that happens a lot. My. . . husband is in  
  
the hospital." Phoebe sighed. "Yes, Cole. I know. . . Yes, Donna."  
  
Paige looked to Piper. "Should I scrie for Sthenno?"  
  
The oldest of the sisters nodded. "You probably won't be able to find her  
  
without her blood. She's too powerful."  
  
"Especially if she's in the underworld," Leo spoke at last.  
  
Frowning as she hung up her phone, Phoebe looked to the angel. "What? Why  
  
would she go there?"  
  
Piper frowned as well. "What better place to go to with Cole's Source powers  
  
than the Underworld? Everyone wants to rule the underworld these days, right?"  
  
Phoebe shook her head. "Oh that's not good."  
  
"For once I hope you're wrong," said Paige.  
  
"Me too," Piper looked to Leo.  
  
Leo felt a pull and his eyes looked up at the ceiling, then to Piper. "I'm being  
  
summoned."  
  
"What? Now? We need you here."  
  
"I have to go, maybe they know something about Sthenno." He orbed before  
  
she could protest.  
  
Phoebe watched him go, then looked back to Piper. "What about the spell to  
  
summon Belthazor? If I re-word it maybe I can bring Cole here."  
  
"Or you could bring Sthenno here and she could destroy us all," Piper said.  
  
Paige shook her head. "Nothing we've ever done to destroy Cole has worked. If  
  
the Gorgon really is as powerful as Cole, then there's nothing we can do. I know you'd  
  
like to save the day, but maybe we should just run for the hills."  
  
Piper and Phoebe looked to their younger sister.  
  
"Paige, listen to yourself," said Phoebe. "When Piper suggested this in the past  
  
you were the one that said we should stay and fight."  
  
The youngest sister swallowed. She looked down. "I don't want you two to go  
  
through losing another sister, and I don't want to know what it feels like either."  
  
Phoebe looked to Piper.  
  
"Oh, honey," Piper felt a burning in her eyes at the thought of Prue once again.  
  
"We can get through this." She stepped forward and put her arms around Paige. "We'll  
  
figure something out."  
  
Phoebe lowered her head and turned away. We'll figure something out, Cole.  
  
She noticed something on the table in the corner, a clipboard. "Paige, is that yours?"  
  
She turned back to her sisters.  
  
Piper and Paige turned to Phoebe.  
  
"Isn't that. . ," Piper began  
  
"Oh, I forgot all about that," said Paige. "Victoria - - I mean, Sthenno, was  
  
carrying it around in Victoria Olsen's form."  
  
Hoping for a premonition, Phoebe reached out and picked up the clipboard.  
  
Almost immediately a chill came to her and she jumped, sucking in her breath. Her eyes  
  
were closed but the vision played in her mind in shades of gray: The manor's foyer;  
  
Cole snapping Paige's neck and tossing her aside, throwing an energy ball at Piper, an  
  
athame at Phoebe.  
  
Phoebe dropped the clipboard and took a step back.  
  
"What did you see?," Piper moved toward her.  
  
"The three of us being killed by Sthenno in Cole's form." Phoebe swallowed. "In  
  
just a matter of seconds."  
  
"Well then we need to make the first move."  
  
Leo orbed in, Phoebe squinted at the brightness of the blue and white lights  
  
around him. He looked at Paige and Phoebe, then to Piper. "Their sources say that  
  
something's happening in the Underworld, I doubt its coincidence."  
  
Paige frowned at Leo. The Elders had sources? Why didn't their 'sources' ever  
  
let them in on Cole's little secret when he was going to marry Phoebe. She shook her  
  
head and looked to Piper, remaining silent.  
  
Piper let out a long sigh. "Okay," she said after a brief pause. "This is what we'll  
  
do: Phoebe will reword the summoning spell for Belthazor to summon Cole, hopefully it  
  
will also bring Sthenno. Once she's here I will keep her distracted while Paige cuts a piece  
  
of flesh from her." She looked to the three of them. "How does that sound?"  
  
Phoebe was already back at the Book of Shadows looking for the folded piece of  
  
paper within the Belthazor page.  
  
"Do you think she'll just go away and give us time to make the vanquishing  
  
potion after I cut her?," Paige asked. "Its not like you can freeze her, you can't freeze  
  
Cole. . . can you?"  
  
"Not with his Source powers," Leo butted in.  
  
"At least not for long," Piper added. "Once I have Sthenno's flesh I can add it to  
  
the potion I'll already be brewing. You and Phoebe will just have to keep her distracted  
  
long enough for me to bottle it."  
  
Leo looked from Paige to Piper. "Just remember not to make eye contact with  
  
her."  
  
"Thanks, honey." She smiled and passed him, heading into the kitchen.  
  
Paige closed her eyes and focused on the dagger in the attic she had used  
  
several times for rituals in the past. "Knife," she called. The dagger orbed into her hand  
  
and she opened her eyes, looking to Leo. He had already begun walking toward the  
  
kitchen. Paige looked to Phoebe.  
  
Phoebe stared down at the drawing of Belthazor, frowning. She shook her head  
  
and unfolded the piece of paper containing the summoning and vanquishing spells for  
  
the demon. "Okay, this shouldn't be too difficult."  
  
Leo watched as Piper began tossing various vegetables and herbs into the boiling  
  
water in front of her. His arms were folded across his chest and he wore a worried look  
  
upon his face.  
  
"What are you thinking?," Piper asked, without looking up. She picked up a large  
  
knife and began chopping up a root of some kind.  
  
"I love you," he said softly.  
  
She looked up now, pausing with the knife still in hand. "I love you, too." She  
  
smiled while taking in a deep breath and in a not-so-sturdy voice assured him, "We'll be  
  
fine. We'll be fine." Looking back down at the cutting board next to the stove top, she  
  
resumed chopping.  
  
  
  
  
  
The Underworld was a cold and dark place filled with evil energy. It reminded her  
  
of home, the place she had been born centuries ago.  
  
Sthenno looked to the warlock Rhianon and smiled. "You warlocks have potential.  
  
Problem is, you don't know how to use it. All braun, no brains. However, you will  
  
become the greatest of your kind if you are as loyal as you claim to be." She moved  
  
toward him, still in Cole's form.  
  
"Yes, great one," Rhianon whispered, his head lowered.  
  
"My first gift to you," the Gorgon said, waving her hand. "Telekinesis." And  
  
Rhianon's body flashed green.  
  
The warlock lifted his head, but looked to his hands and not Cole (whose form  
  
the Gorgon still held). "I feel it within me." He looked to her. "Tell me what you want  
  
me to do with this new power."  
  
The Gorgon lifted the chin of Cole and smiled. A charm of some kind appeared  
  
out of flames around his neck. "You will go witch hunting in San Francisco. The charm  
  
will guide you to them and protect you fromt heir magic." She held out her hand, a  
  
small black cloud came from her palm, then quickly turned into an Athame. "Once you  
  
have the power of five witches return to me."  
  
He frowned, but nodded and took the dagger. "What if the Charmed Ones  
  
come after me?"  
  
"I will be watching you."  
  
"Yes, great one." The warlock blinked away.  
  
After he had disappeared, the Gorgon let out a cry and fell to her knees and  
  
closing the eyes of Cole tightly. "The witches' power was greater than I had imagined,"  
  
she hissed, speaking to herself. "I can't fight it much longer, even with this form."  
  
  
  
  
  
Rhianon appeared in China Town, San Francisco. The object around his neck  
  
glowed brightly and he could feel it pulling at his mind, guiding him to a witch. To keep  
  
from drawing attention to himself, the warlock tucked the charm into his shirt and placed  
  
the Athame into his jacket.  
  
Hurrying across the street, he made his way down an alley and then cut through  
  
a closed market place area. He was being pulled to a park nearby. Moving along the  
  
chain-link fence surrounding the park, Rhianon scanned the people in the area. It was  
  
still daylight and many 'innocents' were walking about.  
  
With the charm's assistance, he was quickly able to identify a young man and  
  
woman sitting by a fountain enjoying asian cuisine for a late lunch. He grinned and  
  
headed toward them, brushing shoulders with people in his way, pushing others out of  
  
his path.  
  
Tarren and Joseph Keller looked up at the man approaching and frowned,  
  
somehow they both knew what he was immediatelly. They stood and turned their backs  
  
to him, whispering, then quickly headed out of the park, away from the innocents - for  
  
their car in the nearby parking garage.  
  
"Is he following us?," she whispered.  
  
Joseph glanced back over his shoulder as they entered the garage. He looked  
  
back ahread of him. "He's close. We're not going to be able to run from him."  
  
Tarren took her husband's hand tightly in her own and spun around. She was  
  
grateful the garage was empty. "Stay away from us."  
  
Laughing as he approached, Rhianon held his hands out in front of him and  
  
shook them. "Oooh, I'm so scared." He narrows his eyes, focusing on Joseph and  
  
swung his hand, using his telekinesis to send Joseph flying backwards, crashing up  
  
against a door to the garage's elevators.  
  
"No!," shouted Tarren. She swallowed, looking from Joseph to Rhianon and then  
  
suddenly disappeared - turning invisible.  
  
"I know you're still here, witch," the warlock growled. "I can feel you."  
  
Tarren moved to come behind him and send out a fist at the back of his head,  
  
but Rhianon felt her coming and spun around, grabbing her hand. With his free hand,  
  
he took the Athame from his coat and send it forward, blood seeming to spill from air  
  
for a moment until she came back into view.  
  
"Your power unto me," he whispered. Her body glowed blue for an instant, then  
  
his own. He twisted the Athame and then pulled it free, turning to face Joseph who still  
  
lie on the ground near the door.  
  
"Tarren!," Joseph gasped. He stared at the body of his wife, lying still on the  
  
ground, then looked up to the warlock. Throwing out his hands, he shouted: "Sleep!"  
  
When nothing happened, he only grew more panicked and stood, running for the other  
  
man.  
  
Rhianon ducked down and sent the dagger up with his clenched fist, sending the  
  
running Joseph with Athame in his stomach up and over. The witch landed behind the  
  
warlock, and his body glowed blue.  
  
"Interesting powers," Rhianon looked back to them. "Too bad they couldn't save  
  
you." He turned and walked away, blinking out.  
  
  
  
  
  
Piper and Leo came back to the dining room, looking to Phoebe.  
  
"The potion is ready," Piper said. "All we need now is a piece of her flesh to  
  
complete it. How's the spell coming along?"  
  
Phoebe stood with the small writing pad in her hand. "I've got it. We should set  
  
up the crystals for when we summon. It won't kill her, but it will slow her down."  
  
"Good idea." Piper looked to the youngest sister.  
  
Paige nodded. "I'll get them." After placing the dagger she held on the table,  
  
she orbed away, returning a few moments later with both hands full of five large quartz  
  
stones. Looking to the floor in the foyer, she called, "Crystals." The stones orbed from  
  
her hands and arranged themselves east to west in a large circle.  
  
"The foyer," frowned Phoebe. "My premonition."  
  
Leo looked up. "I'm being summoned."  
  
The sisters looked to him all asking, "Again?"  
  
"Maybe they found something out," Phoebe looked to Piper with hopeful eyes.  
  
"Hurry back, honey." Piper's voice was less than sweet as he orbed away. The  
  
Elders always seemed to summon Leo when she wanted him around the most. So was  
  
their deal, they could only get married if their relationship did not interfere with his  
  
responsibilities as a white lighter. She shook her head and looked to Paige. "Are you sure  
  
you're up for this?"  
  
"Hell yeah," Paige was trying to convince herself more than her sister. "I  
  
promise I won't be squeamish this time."  
  
"Just make sure you do it fast and get the hell away from her."  
  
"It'll be just like fighting Cole," Phoebe said softly. "I mean, she'll look like him  
  
and have all of his powers. What if only one of them shows up. If its the real Cole, we  
  
might vanquish him."  
  
Piper shook her head. "We'll just have to trust our powers to bring the one we  
  
want. And we want both."  
  
"Can we move that fast?"  
  
"You mean: Can I freeze Sthenno long enough for you to orb in, cut a piece of  
  
her flesh off, orb out, activate the stones to keep her contained for a while while I slip  
  
the flesh into the potion?," Piper took a breath.  
  
"Then you'll need to do some more orbing," said Phoebe. "To get the statue of  
  
Cole out of here."  
  
"If that even shows up," said Paige.  
  
"Why can't anything just be simple?," growled Piper.  
  
White and blue lights filled the corner of the dining room as Leo orbed back in.  
  
He had a very upsetting look on his face.  
  
Piper narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even say we have more to worry aout."  
  
He winced.  
  
"What now!?" She wasn't shouting at him, she hoped he knew that.  
  
"Two witches were just killed not fifteen minutes ago in China Town. Athame-  
  
style."  
  
Phoebe's eyes widened. "What? We can't deal with that now!"  
  
Piper threw her arms into the air. "They have white lighters don't they? Are you  
  
the only responsible one? Sheesh!"  
  
"Piper, you have to check it out," said Leo.  
  
"We are kind of in the middle of something, Leo!"  
  
"This can't be happening. How can all of this be happening at once!?." Phoebe  
  
began pacing, shaking her head. "Its like all hell just broke loose."  
  
Pulling a chair away from the table, Piper sat down and buried her face in her  
  
hands again. "I don't know what to do." She looked up at Paige and Phoebe, Leo was  
  
standing behind her. She wished Prue was there with them, she would have ideas. Right  
  
now, Piper was drawing a complete blank.  
  
"I say we take care of Sthenno first, she's more of a threat," said Paige.  
  
Phoebe frowned. "Meanwhile some demon is out there killing off witches."  
  
"We can't be in two places at once."  
  
"There may be innocents in danger. Sthenno is after us, not innocents." Phoebe  
  
looked to Piper. "Sthenno can wait."  
  
Paige folded her arms. "And what if Sthenno shows up while we're taking care of  
  
this witch-hunter?"  
  
"Then. . ."  
  
"Exactly. We're dead then."  
  
Piper jumped up from the chair. "You know what, I'm going to choose to be  
  
selfish, Phoebe because I'm tired and I hurt and that thing will kill us if we deter from  
  
our plans now."  
  
Phoebe jumped.  
  
"Is the damned spell ready or not?"  
  
Without another word, Phoebe reached down and tore the piece of paper from  
  
the pad, handing it to Piper.  
  
Paige frowned, looking from one to the other, then to Leo.  
  
He lowered his head.  
  
"Good, then let's do this," said Piper.  
  
The sisters gathered around the spell Piper held and began to read, facing the  
  
crystals in the foyer:  
  
"Magic forces black and white," said Paige.  
  
"Reaching out through space and light," said Phoebe.  
  
"Be he far or be he near," said Piper.  
  
They together said, "Bring us the one we seek here."  
  
Wind came through the manor and the old house shook, electricity swirling within  
  
the foyer, followed by smoke and flashes of nearly every color imaginable. The sisters  
  
all swallowed and their white lighter took a step back, watching as a figure began to  
  
form in the midst of it all. . .  
  
Rhianon.  
  
Piper frowned. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
The warlock stared at them for a moment, the charm around his neck glowing  
  
brightly. "The Charmed Ones?"  
  
"Oh no," said Phoebe.  
  
Piper and Paige turned to her.  
  
"I was thinking of the person who murdered those witches when we cast the  
  
spell."  
  
Paige looked back to Rhianon admitting, "So was I."  
  
"Me too," said Piper, looking to the warlock.  
  
Rhianon smirked. "I do believe two plus three equals five." He shrugged and  
  
turned invisible.  
  
Piper jumped. "Where did he go?"  
  
"Sleep," whispered a voice.  
  
"Ungh. . ," Paige collapsed to the floor, unconscious.  
  
"Paige!." Phoebe moved to her sister, but an invisible force sent her flying out  
  
through the foyer and into the den, crashing through the coffee table. She let out a  
  
groan as the room spun and the sofa danced.  
  
Piper watched Phoebe go, then spun around ot look at Leo.  
  
"Psst," Rhianon appeared behind her and send his boot into the middle of her  
  
back.  
  
Crying out, Piper was thrown forward and landed on the dining room table on her  
  
stomach.  
  
"Piper!" Leo orbed out, reappearing in between the warlock and his wife. He  
  
threw a punch, catching the other man, but it didn't seem to do much. He threw  
  
another.  
  
The warlock ducked down and gestured upward with his chin. Leo was thrown  
  
up, crashing into the ceiling. He orbed away, reappearing behind Rhianon, grabbing his  
  
shoulder to turn him around.  
  
Piper rolled onto her back and sat up, still on the table. She saw her husband in  
  
a fist-fight (at least on his end) with the warlock. Holding out her hands, she froze them  
  
both. "Phoebe! Paige!"  
  
Phoebe came stumbling into the dining room and dropped down by Paige's side,  
  
checking for a pulse. "Piper, I think she's in a coma or something." She looked up to her  
  
sister, but saw the warlock shifting back into normal time. "Oh no you don't."  
  
Rhianon smiled at Phoebe and threw out his hand.  
  
Letting out a scream as she was flung out into the foyer again, Phoebe focused  
  
and used her levitation to bring her up instead of crashing back into the den. Setting  
  
down, she ran into the dining room and levitated herself again, throwing a kick at the  
  
warlock.  
  
Rhianon ducked and jumped to the side. When Phoebe touched down, he pulled  
  
his Athame and send it at her chest.  
  
Jumping back, Phoebe avoided the blade and threw up her leg, kicking the knife  
  
from the warlock's hand. She then stepped in, palm shooting up, catching him across  
  
the jaw. Then she spun and caught him with her foot in his stomach, watching him fall  
  
backwards.  
  
Piper watched as Phoebe kicked the warlock away and she threw out her hands,  
  
but the warlock had blinked away and only a small table in the corner exploded. "Damn  
  
it!" She looked to Leo and waved her hands, unfreezing him. "Sorry, honey."  
  
  
  
  
  
Sthenno backhanded Rhianon and send her foot into his side after he fell to the  
  
floor of the Source's chambers in the underworld. "You fool! The Charmed Ones are  
  
mine, how dare you try and take that away from me?"  
  
The warlock did not move from his place on the ground. He now spoke, clearly  
  
frightened: "Great one, please! I only wanted to please you. It was a foolish idea;  
  
forgive me. I've already killed two witches, let me continue my search for three more. I  
  
will prove myself to you."  
  
"Why should I? You are just as stupid as the rest of your kind," she hissed.  
  
"The charm you gave me, it did not block their magic."  
  
"The Charmed Ones are more powerful than any normal witch."  
  
Footsteps.  
  
The Gorgon turned, seeing a demon and several other figures entering the  
  
room. Still in the form of Cole, Sthenno stepped toward them. "I did not summon you,  
  
why have you come here?'  
  
One by one the demons took a place around her, remaining silent. Their leader,  
  
a tall muscular man in a gray sweater and black trousers stepped toward who he  
  
thought was Cole.  
  
"You have no right to reclaim your throne," the man said. "Not as you have.  
  
There are others who believe themselves more worthy of the position. One of those  
  
people would be me."  
  
Sthenno narrowed her eyes and threw her hands out to her sides, an energy  
  
ball shooting in each direction, taking out two of the man's minions. "Leave now before  
  
you share their fate."  
  
"You don't scare me. The more you use your powers in such a reckless and  
  
irresponsible way, the less support you have - or do you have any at all? Standing here  
  
in this room alone does not make you the Source."  
  
Rhianon looked on from behind Sthenno.  
  
The man continued, "I, Venehr, challenge you to a duel."  
  
Sthenno wondered if this was how things usually worked in the Underworld. She  
  
looked the man over, sensing great power from him. Inside of her she still felt great  
  
pain and knew she was not one hundred percent. If she fought now, and won, she  
  
would be even weaker.  
  
She, in the form of Cole, laughed at the demon. "You are so eager to die."  
  
"We shall see. Does that mean you accept my challenge?" He smirked. "I never  
  
feared you as Belthazor, I will not fear you now."  
  
Her eyes flashed green, as did the body of Venehr, and the man was turned to  
  
stone. The Gorgon took on the form of Venehr and suddenly felt healthier, stronger - it  
  
was the form of Cole itself, perhaps, and not the witches' power  
  
"Leave me," she said to Venehr's minions. They glanced at eachother before  
  
flaming away.  
  
Rhianon smirked. "Back to our conversation. . ."  
  
The Gorgon looked back to him. "Your attitude changes so quickly." She  
  
narrowed her eyes. "Keep in mind whom you are speaking to. You seem to forget the  
  
more you talk."  
  
He lowered his head again. "Forgive me, I am only anxious to please you."  
  
"Does this form suit me?"  
  
"Any would, Great One."  
  
Holding out the hand of Venehr, Sthenno watched a mirror form out of a black  
  
cloud suddenly appearing from her palm. She looked into the glass, at her own eyes.  
  
How beautiful this new form was, even more attractive than Cole in some ways. She  
  
felt stronger and healthier, for some reason Cole's form was toxic to her. So much  
  
power, so many things she didn't understand about him or the Charmed Ones. More  
  
tests, perhaps. The warlock had to keep distracting them while she continued to heal.  
  
Sthenno looked back to Rhianon. "Wait until nightfall, then go back to your witch  
  
hunting. What powers have you now?"  
  
He lifted his head. "Invisibility and the power to put people into a deep sleep,  
  
also the telekinesis you gifted me with. . . my blinking ability, also." He frowned. "May I  
  
ask a question?"  
  
She tilted her head. "What is it?"  
  
Rhianon looked to the statue of Venehr. "Which Gorgon did you kill for that  
  
power?" He looked back to her.  
  
Smiling, she shook Venehr's head. "Questions only get people into trouble,  
  
Rhianon."  
  
He only nodded.  
  
  
  
  
  
Paige hit the 'end' button on her cell phone and sighed. She had just called the  
  
Social Services office to inform them she would be out the rest of the day due to a very  
  
urgent family emergency. Mr. Cohen was not pleased, especially since she hadn't come  
  
in at all, and the 'family emergency' excuse was getting old. However, he liked Paige  
  
and he often cursed himself to being so lenient. She could only be grateful she was a  
  
hard worker who actually cared, unlike some people.  
  
Smiling, Phoebe stabbed the center of a page in the Book of Shadows with her  
  
finger. "Aha!"  
  
Paige looked across the dining room to her sister.  
  
"Rhianon," Phoebe read the title of the entry next to the picture of the warlock  
  
they had all fought twenty minutes go. She looked up at Piper and Leo. "Glad he's  
  
someone we can look up easily."  
  
Piper walked over to Phoebe's side and looked down into the Book, reading: "A  
  
warlock known for his abilities to mimick."  
  
"Mimick what?," asked Paige.  
  
"The powers of those he fights," Piper looked up at Leo as she read. "How does  
  
a warlock have the ability to do that?"  
  
Leo's brow raised. "It must be a power he aquired from a witch he killed."  
  
"That means he has my freezing ability."  
  
"Okay guys, we have to think about Sthenno here, too. Remember my  
  
premonition?"  
  
"Gram's clock," said Paige.  
  
Phoebe looked to her younger sister, confused.  
  
"Well, you said the premonition was in the foyer. Wasn't Gram's clock in it? You  
  
would know when Sthenno is going to attack."  
  
"You know, I wasn't even paying attention to that." She bit her lip. "I don't  
  
remember." She shook her head and repeated, "I don't remember."  
  
Silence came to the room until Piper spoke.  
  
"Okay so we have a Gorgon with the ability to freeze people and make illusions,  
  
who may be trying to take control of the Underworld and will come here to kill us  
  
sometime soon. Then we have a warlock who decided to show up who has killed two  
  
witches and has the power to knock us out until he decides to leave, the power to turn  
  
invisible, telekinesis and. . . a mimicking ability."  
  
"So what's your next move?," asked Leo.  
  
"No friggen clue." She looked to her sisters for ideas once again.  
  
"You guys," Paige frowned. "Look." She walked over to the entrance of the  
  
dining room, facing the den at the opposite side of the foyer. "Blood. Were any of you  
  
bleeding from the fight?" She looked back to them, they shook their heads.  
  
Piper's brow raised and she came to Paige's side. "We have the warlock's  
  
blood?"  
  
"We can scry for him," said Phoebe.  
  
  
  
Paige tied the thin gold chain, scrying crystal dangling at the end, around a leaf  
  
with Rhianon's blood from one of Piper's carnations they had used to wipe it up from the  
  
floor. She sat in a chair in front of a map of San Francisco and brought the crystal over  
  
it, letting it just barely touch the paper. Focusing, she felt the crystal begin to pull and  
  
circle the map. . .  
  
Piper, Phoebe and Leo watched Paige in the sitting room from the den.  
  
"So we'll orb to where Rhianon is, kick his ass, then come back here ASAP and  
  
re-prepare for Sthenno," said Phoebe.  
  
"With hopes that she is not back here waiting for us, ready to hit us with energy  
  
balls as soon as we orb in," said Piper.  
  
"I'd tell you to relax, but. . ," Leo began.  
  
"We can't afford to relax. We need to be alert. Ready."  
  
"Ready to kick ass."  
  
"Kick some serious ass."  
  
"We can do it."  
  
"Yes we can."  
  
Leo looked from one to the other as they spoke words of confidence for their  
  
own benefit. He forced a smile, "Right on. . ."  
  
Paige smiled, watching as the crystal was pulled toward downtown San Francisco  
  
like a magnet. "Got it. He's downtown, Jameson and Bethany." She stood, looking to  
  
the other three.  
  
"Okay then," said Piper. "Leo?"  
  
The angel looked to them all. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?"  
  
"No," said Piper. "If you get one pain in your stomach - even if you think its just  
  
gas - you orb to us and tell us, got me?"  
  
"Angels get gas?," frowned Paige.  
  
"Shh!"  
  
Leo nodded. "All right. Be careful."  
  
Phoebe smiled. "We will be. No big deal." She and Piper walked from Leo's side  
  
to Paige's. "Okay, let's do this."  
  
Leo watched the three sisters orb away and took in a deep breath.  
  
  
  
  
  
"NO!," screamed Julie Turano as the dumpster she was huddled behind was  
  
thrown away by the attacking warlock's telekinesis. She turned to run, but Rhianon  
  
threw out his hands and she froze in place.  
  
He smiled. "Ah, Piper's powers are quite useful, aren't they?" Walking up to the  
  
witch he reached into his jacket and pulled out an Athame. "Now, yours is even more  
  
valuable to me. Regeneration - rapid, no less."  
  
The Charmed Ones orbed in behind Rhianon.  
  
"Not so fast, Rhino," shouted Piper.  
  
"Rhianon," corrected Phoebe, whispering.  
  
"Oh, whatever."  
  
Rhianon turned, looking at the three sisters. Fear hit him only for an instant.  
  
"You again." He threw out his hand, an invisible force knocking them all off their feet.  
  
He turned back to Julie, ready to strike with the Athame.  
  
"Athame!," shouted Paige. The knife vanished into blue and white lights, orbing  
  
to Paige's hand.  
  
Piper moved to throw out her hands at Rhianon, but Phoebe threw them down.  
  
"Piper, no!," Phoebe whispered. "If you blow him up and it doesn't work he'll  
  
have your exploding power.  
  
Growling, the oldest Halliwell shook her head. "Well freezing him can't do  
  
anymore harm than its already done."  
  
Rhianon smirked and threw out his hands at the same time as Piper - Phoebe  
  
and Paige froze, Rhianon and Piper did not. The warlock frowned. "What happened?"  
  
"You didn't freeze," blinked Piper. She looked to her sisters, then back to the  
  
warlock. "Immunity. . ."  
  
He smirked and turned back to Julie, standing behind her, reaching his arms  
  
around her head.  
  
"No you don't, buster!" Piper ran at him and leapt onto his back, falling  
  
backwards with him. She held a choke hold on him as long as she could, wondering what  
  
she planned to do from there, but the warlock blinked away out of her grip.  
  
Rhianon reappeared next to Paige and grabbed the Athame from her hand.  
  
"Enough of this." He blinked out again and appeared in front of Julie, sending out the  
  
Athame into her stomach. The witch's eyes went wide as she shifted back into normal  
  
time and unfroze.  
  
Piper sat up, staring for a moment before calling: "Leo!"  
  
Leo appeared immediately, having been back at the manor waiting for a call  
  
from the Charmed Ones, should they need his healing power. He saw Phoebe and  
  
Paige were frozen, then looked to Rhianon and Julie.  
  
The warlock closed his eyes for a moment as blue light shot from Julie Turano  
  
into his own body. He smiled at Piper and Leo. "A white lighter can only be killed by a  
  
dark lighter, they say. But I'm sure this is going to hurt you. A lot." He threw out his  
  
hand and watched as Leo was thrown back, up against the brick wall of a nearby  
  
building. Rhianon clenched his fist and Leo cried out before orbing away.  
  
"Forget about me?," asked Piper, sending a fist into the warlock's face.  
  
Rhianon fell backward and blinked away, reappearing invisible in the alley. He  
  
chuckled and watched Phoebe and Paige shift back into normal time. "The all powerful  
  
Charmed Ones so easily defeated."  
  
Phoebe looked to Piper. "What do we do?"  
  
"Join hands. Quick, quick, quick. Old-school power of three spell."  
  
"What?," asked Paige. She hurried to Piper's side.  
  
"Just repeat after us," said Phoebe, taking hold of Piper's hand.  
  
Leo, meanwhile, orbed in next to Julie Turano, holding his hands over her, letting  
  
the warm glow flow throughout her body. He wasn't too late. He smiled slightly as her  
  
eyes opened and he whispered, "You'll be fine."  
  
"The power of three will set us free," said Piper.  
  
Paige frowned. "That's it?" Piper squeezed her hand tightly, as if trying to crush  
  
it and Paige shouted: "The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us  
  
- - Ow! All right already!"  
  
Flames burst out from thin-air, followed by Rhianon's screams. "No!," he  
  
shrieked as he became visible again.  
  
"The power of three will set us free," the girls continued.  
  
Leo and Julie looked on as the Charmed Ones continued their chant and the  
  
warlock Rhianon exploded into a ball of flame.  
  
Piper let go of her sister's hands.  
  
"We have to get back to the manor." Phoebe looked to Piper.  
  
She nodded. "Warlocks are always such a pain in the ass. Leo?"  
  
Leo and Julie rose from the ground, looking to Piper. "I'm here," he said.  
  
The three sisters walked to Leo and the witch, Julie. Phoebe offered the other  
  
woman a comforting smile. She reached out and touched a charm hanging down from  
  
Julie's neck. "You belong to a coven?"  
  
Julie nodded, she was still shaking a little.  
  
"I'll bring you back," said Leo. "Just tell me where."  
  
Piper nodded and looked to Paige. "Let's get back to the manor."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. . . 


	3. Stone Cold Part 3

CHARMED  
  
"STONE COLD - PART 3 (FINALE)"  
  
(5th Season)  
  
  
  
Sthenno stood at the head of the table in the form of Cole once again. His form  
  
was well known and maybe still feared by some. Besides, she wasn't quite ready for the  
  
demon population to know she was not the real Cole. Not that it mattered since she had  
  
all of his powers anyway. The pain came and went, but she was fairly confident she  
  
could hold his form. She felt much better, the witches would be destroyed by her  
  
personally after this meeting.  
  
One by one demons shimmered, glowed, flamed, flashed and faded into the  
  
chairs at the large table in the Underworld's conference room off the Source's  
  
chambers. Sthenno, shortly after taking back the form of Cole, had summoned a  
  
messenger and asked him to call upon the leaders of all of the primary demon factions  
  
immediately.  
  
"Thank you all for coming so quickly," she smirked. She looked over the different  
  
men and women before her, not knowing there would be so many. The messenger had  
  
given her a suggestion, that she place as many chairs as possible at the table - you  
  
would never know who would show and who would not. All but two of sixteen chairs  
  
were filled.  
  
A man sitting next to the leader of the Grimlocks rolled his eyes. "I speak for  
  
myself, of course," he glanced to the others around him, then back to who he believed  
  
to be Cole, "when I say that I've only come to this meeting out of curiosity. You are not  
  
the Source, no matter how powerful you may be."  
  
"Not yet, perhaps," admitted Sthenno. "You see after tonight all of you will agree  
  
that I am the best candidate to take the throne."  
  
"And why is that?," a female demon asked.  
  
Sthenno smiled. "Because tonight I defeat the Charmed Ones and take the  
  
power of three."  
  
Some stifled laughter, others raised their brows with curiosity, and one man  
  
considered shimmering away from this nonsense.  
  
"Think what you will," Sthenno said, slowly circling the table, looking over them  
  
all. "Not that it will matter." They frowned and looked to her, and her eyes flashed. Nine  
  
of them turned to stone in their seats. The five remaining leapt to their feet, quite  
  
confused. Sthenno tilted her head, "Immune? Pity for you." She waved her hand and  
  
two burst into flame, three did not. "Oh how these rules bore me."  
  
The female demon quickly shimmered away, another flamed out and a third  
  
began to glow. Sthenno threw out her hand, fire streaming through the air and at the  
  
man.  
  
When it was over, Sthenno's eyes went pure black and her body began to  
  
tremble. She looked down at her hands, but not with fear, as she began to laugh. "I am  
  
no longer a mere creature of this world," she hissed.  
  
Her tongue flicked out, forked and blood red. Her clothes vanished and she  
  
stood in the room nude for a moment as her fingernails turned black, then her skin took  
  
on scales and shifted color to dark green and that of ash in some areas. The hair of  
  
Cole disappeared from her head as her body changed back into a female form - her  
  
original. And her legs came together as one, forming (from the waist down) the body of  
  
a serpent. Huge tusks came from her head, which now doubled in size and small horns  
  
riped through her flesh from the tip of her nose to the back of her head.  
  
A hiss and monsterous roar like no other sound the Underworld had ever heard.  
  
"I am a GOD!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Sthenno's attack will probably happen soon, we have to figure out what we're  
  
going to do," said Piper. "Are you two still for the original plan?" When her sisters gave  
  
her only unsure expressions in response, she growled and walked over to them,  
  
grabbing their hands. "Well?"  
  
Paige shook her head. "I'm scared!"  
  
"So am I." She looked down.  
  
"We'll stick to the original plan," Phoebe said. She looked to her younger sister.  
  
Paige frowned, looking at a mirror on the wall in the den. She tilted her head,  
  
looking at her own reflection for a few moments.  
  
"Guys?," Paige turned back to them.  
  
Piper and Phoebe looked to their younger sister.  
  
"Mirror!"  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"The mirror," smiled Paige.  
  
"English, please?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Paige gestured to the mirror. "Can Sthenno turn herself into  
  
stone? There's a chance she could be immune to her own powers but isn't it worth a  
  
try?"  
  
Phoebe looked to the mirror, then to Paige. "Even if she could turn herself to  
  
stone, how are we going to get her to look into a mirror?"  
  
"If Prue were here, she could just astral project," mumbled Piper. She had only  
  
meant to think that, not say it, and quickly looked to Leo as if he could somehow  
  
magically erase the mistake.  
  
Leo frowned. "Maybe Paige does have a good idea with the mirror, though."  
  
"I doubt Sthenno is stupid enough to fall for that kind of trick," Phoebe said.  
  
"What if she couldn't avoid it?," asked Piper.  
  
"How?"  
  
Paige thought for a moment. "Well, we could grab every damn mirror in this  
  
house and place them around the room and then use the summoning spell correctly  
  
this time. She could appear and - -"  
  
Piper interrupted, "And she'd be careful and not even use her power. Phoebe is  
  
right."  
  
"On with the original plan then," said Phoebe.  
  
"Wait, I just thought of something," said Piper. "I need to make another potion."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Piper stood in the doorway of the dining room. Paige stood on the stairs. Phoebe  
  
stood at the entrance of the den. The crystals were arranged in a circle in front of them  
  
all and Leo was standing by behind Piper.  
  
"Ready?," asked Piper. She didn't quite wait for a response as she began to read  
  
the spell with her sisters:  
  
"Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or  
  
be he near, bring us the one we seek here."  
  
Electricity and wind swirled within the circle as colors flashed and the ground  
  
shook. All three girls held their breath, making sure to focus on the form of Cole this  
  
time.  
  
A single figure appeared in the foyer - the statue of Cole?  
  
Phoebe's eyes widened. "Cole." She looked to Piper. "Quick, get the potion to  
  
restore him."  
  
Piper hesitated. She would much rather blow him to pieces so they'd never have  
  
to worry about him again.  
  
"Piper!"  
  
The oldest sister glanced at Leo and Paige before heading to the kitchen.  
  
Laughter as Phoebe approached the statue.  
  
The stone form of Cole suddenly shifted into that of the grotesque Gorgon  
  
Sthenno. Phoebe screamed and ducked down as the creature swung her serpent's tail at  
  
her. Missing, it crashed through the wall.  
  
Paige blinked and leaped down, landing on the floor near one of the crystals and  
  
tapped it. The crystals glowed and shot up a field of energy around the Gorgon. The  
  
youngest sister screamed for Piper.  
  
Sthenno's black eyes looked completely hollow as her face came up to the edge  
  
of the field and looked into Paige's. "Little sssissster," the Gorgon hissed. "What do you  
  
think thisss will do to me?" Her hand came through the field and grabbed Paige's hair,  
  
pulling her toward the field.  
  
Holding out her hand, Paige called for the athame and it came to her hand. She  
  
threw it up and cut into the arm of the Gorgon, black blood and a chunk of flesh  
  
pouring down over her. She dropped the knife and reached for the flesh, but Sthenno  
  
pulled her up and into the field. Paige screamed as pain raced through her, Sthenno did  
  
not let go.  
  
"Paige!," cried Piper, coming back to the room with the restoring potion.  
  
"Piper, Sthenno's flesh!," called Leo.  
  
Piper looked down and quickly grabbed the black and green chunk, oozing with  
  
blood. She turned and hurried back to the kitchen, moving to the potion the range was  
  
keeping warm.  
  
Phoebe ran to Paige and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her from the Gorgon's  
  
grip with no success. She dropped down and hit the crystal closest to her, the field  
  
dropped, as did Paige's unconscious form.  
  
Sthenno hissed and a large glob shot past her forked tongue, landing on Paige's  
  
stomach, beginning to burn into her as smoke and a strong acidic smell filled Phoebe's  
  
nostrils.  
  
"Leo!," shouted Phoebe, staring at the acid burning into her sister. The white  
  
lighter orbed in and grabbed Paige, orbing out just in time to miss Sthenno's tail. He  
  
appeared with Paige in the hall upstairs and quickly began to heal her.  
  
"Piper! Hur - -" Phoebe's voice was cut off as the heavy tail of the beast before  
  
her struck her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her soaring up the  
  
stairs.  
  
"I'm coming!," Piper called back, running into the foyer with the potion in hand.  
  
"Oh my you are ugly."  
  
Sthenno spun around and hissed at Piper.  
  
"Shut up," Piper frowned and threw out her free hand, causing Sthenno's head  
  
to explode. "Time for a little mega restoration potion. . . if it works."  
  
Piper threw out a potion before the Gorgon's head reformed, calling for her  
  
sisters. Leo appeared with Paige and the Charmed Ones shouted at the Gorgon: "To  
  
your victims past and present may our voices ring, restore their flesh may the powers  
  
return and their taker feel their burn."  
  
The sisters gathered at the foot of the stairs, crossing their fingers.  
  
Fire shot out from Sthenno's body as she shrieked, her scream growing louder  
  
as each exited her and quickly disapper. She fell to her side and rolled about, never  
  
before having felt such great pain or. . . such weakness.  
  
Her eyes widened and she threw herself back into an upright position. "YOU  
  
FOOLS!" She swung her great tail, knocking them all off of their feet. The flames died  
  
around her and she threw out her hands - nothing happening.  
  
Piper narrowed her eyes: "Didn't expect that, huh?" She threw out her hands  
  
and froze the Gorgon. "Bitch."  
  
Phoebe looked to Piper. "Okay, so. . ."  
  
"SO. . . all of her victims should be restored including her sisters."  
  
Paige smiled, "Which will take away Medusa's power as well as Eury- whatever's  
  
illusions. But wait, doesn't that mean they're alive again?"  
  
"We'll. . . worry about that when we get to it. And hopefully that's never."  
  
Sthenno disappeared.  
  
"Now what?!," shouted Piper.  
  
Sthenno flamed in suddenly. "You didn't think I'd allow your power to  
  
ssssummon the real me, did you? Your sssspell failed, I projected an illusion here and  
  
you just wassssted your potion on it."  
  
"Dude, we're gonna make sure it really hurts when we finally kick your ass,"  
  
growled Paige.  
  
Piper looked around. "Okay, this plan is only going to work if he shows up."  
  
"Cole!," the three sisters shouted.  
  
Cole shimmered in suddenly, nearly on top of Phoebe. She backed up. He almost  
  
smiled at her, but now was not the time. Turning, he looked to Sthenno and threw out  
  
his hands, throwing energy ball after energy ball into her.  
  
"Good. Now, now, now!," said Piper. She reached into her pocket and pulled out  
  
a bottle, the potion she had made with Sthenno's flesh. "If this doesn't work. . ."  
  
"It has to," said Phoebe as she pulled out a piece of paper.  
  
Piper threw the potion at Sthenno, it shattered as it struck her hard, scaly skin.  
  
The Charmed Ones shouted at Sthenno as Cole continued throwing energy balls:  
  
"Spirits of air, fire and sea, set us of this Gorgon free. Beasts of hoof and beasts of  
  
shell, drive this Gorgon back to hell."  
  
Cole smirked for a moment, the spell being so familiar. He backed off from  
  
Sthenno as her body flashed green and exploded, bits and pieces of Gorgon showering  
  
the foyer.  
  
"Eeeew, gooey Gorgon," Phoebe spit.  
  
"Jeez the friggen Source wasn't that hard to kill!," growled Piper. She looked to  
  
Cole and then quickly looked away, shaking her head.  
  
"I need a vacation." Phoebe peeled gunk from the side of her face and threw it  
  
to the floor. All three sisters were covered in green and black slime.  
  
"Tell me about it," Piper shook her leg, slime splattering across the foyer. "Now  
  
we have to clean up this mess. I'd wait until morning, but that damned thing might  
  
reform like the Terminator or something."  
  
Cole looked to Phoebe, she looked away.  
  
A demon flamed into the room suddenly, Venehr.  
  
Piper's screamed out of frustration, not fear. "What the hell do you want!?," she  
  
shouted, along with a few obscenities through her teeth.  
  
Leo frowned.  
  
"Only to congratulate you," Venehr said softly. "What a threat she would have  
  
been to me - was to me. But no more, thanks to the power of three." He smiled and  
  
stepped toward them.  
  
Piper pointed a finger at him. "If you attack us we won't vanquish you - I will  
  
freeze you, bind you, tie you down and beat you to death with a monkey wrench. Do  
  
you get me?"  
  
Venehr tilted his head. "Shhhh. . . no need for hostility. . . this time." He flamed  
  
away.  
  
"And stay out, damn it!," Piper stomped her foot and looked to Phoebe and  
  
Paige. "I don't even want to know. No Book of Shadows, no anything - only sleep!"  
  
Paige frowned. "What about the. . uh. . goo?"  
  
Piper didn't look back, only continued up the stairs, Leo hurried after her.  
  
"I'll clean it up," said Paige. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a pot, then  
  
walked back. "Icky things," and the slime and blood throughout the room orbed itself  
  
into the pot. She handed it over to Cole. "I'm sure you can dump this somewhere." With  
  
a nod to Phoebe, she said goodnight and headed upstairs.  
  
Cole looked to Phoebe.  
  
"Get out, Cole."  
  
"Phoebe, I - -"  
  
"Now."  
  
He lowered his head and turned, heading for the door.  
  
"Shimmer. I want you out of here now. Walking isn't fast enough." She watched  
  
him shimmer away without another word. Her eyes did not move away from where he  
  
was standing.  
  
Paige looked down from the top of the stairs. "Phoebe?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Phoebe, are you all right? I was listening, I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave you  
  
alone with him."  
  
"Go to bed, Paige."  
  
She frowned and turned, walking slowly back to her bedroom.  
  
  
  
Phoebe folded her arms. "Its time for you to go now, Cole." She gave a nod, her  
  
eyes remaining on the floor afterward. "Without another word. Just go." Her voice was  
  
shaking, she wasn't sure if it was fear or. . . what?  
  
"Why didn't you just destroy me when I was a statue? You had your chance." He  
  
stepped toward her, she backed away but still did not look to him. "Why did you save  
  
me?"  
  
"Don't," she looked at his face now. "Just go."  
  
"Phoebe. . ."  
  
"Go, Cole. Damn it!"  
  
His eyes found the spot on the floor she had been looking at. He parted his lips  
  
to speak, but then changed his mind and he quickly flamed away.  
  
She expected him to come back - but he did not. Good.  
  
  
  
Piper and Paige were standing in the hall as Phoebe came up the stairs. The  
  
middle sister looked to them both and with full confidence in her decision, she cleared  
  
her throat and said simply, "Cole is next," before passing them and heading to her  
  
bedroom, closing the door behind her. Piper heard the click and slide of the door's lock.  
  
"What do you think that means?," asked Paige.  
  
"I think that means we need to get some rest." Piper didn't look to the youngest  
  
sister as she passed her, heading to her own room where Leo was waiting for her.  
  
Paige looked after Piper, then turned toward Phoebe's room. She shook her head  
  
and walked to her own room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
P3 was packed and filled with the sounds of one of America's hottest bands, as  
  
well as some of San Francisco's hottest men and women. Waitresses pushed their way  
  
through the crowd, as did Piper Halliwell.  
  
"How are you doing?," she asked Phoebe as she took her place behind the bar.  
  
Phoebe shrugged. She hadn't touched her drink. "Just thinking."  
  
"About?"  
  
"A spell that will not only vanquish a certain demon, but also torture him to no  
  
end. . ."  
  
Piper leaned forward, elbows on the bar top. "Honey, the only person you're  
  
torturing right now is yourself. We will deal with Cole. We're all still getting over  
  
Sthenno." She frowned. "And so is the manor. . ."  
  
Phoebe sighed and decided to try and change the subject. "So, where is the red-  
  
head?"  
  
"She said something about business to take care of," Piper rolled her eyes. "I  
  
wonder what he looks like."  
  
"Maybe she and Glen. . ?"  
  
Piper shrugged. "I just hope its not her first date with whoever she's with."  
  
"Remember how you used to be so against sex on the first date? You never said  
  
a thing to Paige but you did to me."  
  
Glad to see her sister's mind on something else, Piper continued the  
  
conversation but as they spoke, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen when  
  
they finally went after Cole. She knew Phoebe wouldn't let this go. Cole would be dealt  
  
with, and she and Paige would be there by her sister through it all.  
  
Piper smiled. "I think I've loosened up quite a bit in the past five years."  
  
Phoebe shrugged. "I think I've done just the opposite, haven't I?"  
  
"Pheebs. . ."  
  
She shook her head and forced a smile. "Its okay, Piper. I've made a lot of  
  
mistakes. I made another one last night by telling you to restore Cole instead of blow  
  
him up." She frowned. "Why didn't you?"  
  
Shrugging, Piper shook her head. "We needed his help to vanquish Sthenno."  
  
"Is that the only reason?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Phoebe looked confused and stood. "I don't know what I'm talking about  
  
anymore. I need to go home and get some sleep or something."  
  
"Umm. . . are you gonna be okay?"  
  
"I don't know. Ask me in the morning."  
  
  
  
Piper watched her sister go, suppressing a sigh. She turned and nearly collided  
  
with a rushing waitress. Piper moved quickly to the side mid-turn and caught her elbow  
  
on the corner of the metallic counter below the liquor bottles behind her. "Ouch!"  
  
She frowned, looking down at a small cut. A tiny burst of lights came from the  
  
cut suddenly and it quickly healed.  
  
"Oh god, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?," the waitress was new, she was  
  
speaking with a shaky voice.  
  
Nodding, Piper waved a hand at her to continue on her way. "I'm fine, it was my  
  
fault." She watched the waitress leave, the nlooked down. "Okay, uber baby," Piper's  
  
brow raised as she smiled. "Go back to sleep before you get mommy in trouble." She  
  
put her hands to her stomach.  
  
"Ms. Halliwell," came a familiar voice.  
  
Piper turned and gave a surprised look to Mr. Kennedy. "Oh. . . Mr. Kennedy."  
  
She moved closer to the bar, almost afraid to make eye contact. "I didn't expect to see  
  
you back here." She quickly began to add, "Listen, I'm really sorry about - -"  
  
He held up a hand. "No need to apologize. Men may not have the same  
  
problems as women but we all have a few mood swings now and then. If you're still  
  
interested in my services. . ."  
  
"Oh, of course."  
  
"You still have my number? Good, then. I hope I hear from you soon." He  
  
glanced around. "All right then, I'll be on my way. Clients to argue with, places to check  
  
out."  
  
She smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
  
  
  
  
Phoebe held a glass of wine in one hand, a pen in the other, as she walked into  
  
the den. She placed the glass down after taking a sip and picked up a note pad from the  
  
table. On it she had begun a spell to vanquish Cole. Somehow, some way, she would  
  
erase him from her life.  
  
Forever. 


End file.
